OAK RIDGE, N.C., July 14, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. ("Oak Ridge"; the "Company") (OTCQB:BKOR), the parent company of Bank of Oak Ridge (the "Bank"), announced unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2015 today.

The Company's net income for the second quarter of 2015 was $855,000 compared to net income of $575,000 for the second quarter of 2014, an increase of $280,000. Net income available to common stockholders for the second quarter of 2015 was $738,000 compared to net income of $402,000 for the second quarter of 2014, an increase of $336,000. Basic and diluted income per common share increased $0.13 to $0.34 for the second quarter of 2015 compared to diluted income per common share of $0.21 in the second quarter of 2014.

The Company's net income for the first six months of 2015 was $1.6 million compared to net income of $983,000 for the same period in 2014, an increase of $586,000. Net income available to common stockholders for the first six months of 2015 was $1.3 million compared to net income of $714,000 for the same period in 2014, an increase of $621,000. Basic and diluted income per common share increased $0.24 to $0.61 for the first six months of 2015 compared to diluted income per common share of $0.37 for the same period in 2014.

Ron Black, President and CEO of the Company and the Bank, commented, "During the second quarter, the Company continued to focus on enhancing our basic core banking business. Both loans and deposits increased from December 31, 2014 to June 30, 2015, and we made significant progress in reducing nonperforming assets during the same period of time. I am thankful for the support of our clients, shareholders, employees and Board of Directors while we improve the earnings of the Bank."

Profitability as measured by the Company's annualized return on average assets was 0.95% and 0.65% for the three months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The Company produced net interest income of $3.3 million during the first three months of 2015, which was slightly lower than the $3.4 million generated for the same time period of 2014. The decrease was primarily caused by higher interest expense, which increased $45,000 or approximately 9.9% to $498,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2015 as compared to the same time period of the prior year. Interest income was relatively unchanged in the three months ended June 30, 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.

Noninterest income decreased $136,000 or approximately 17.5% to $640,000 during the three months ended June 30, 2015 as compared to the same time period of 2014. The majority of the net decrease was associated with decreases in gain on sale of securities and fee income from accounts receivable financing, as well as an increase in impairment loss on securities.

Noninterest expense was slightly lower in the three months ended June 30, 2015 compared to the same period in 2014. However, there were increases and decreases in expense categories from 2014 to 2015. Salaries were $1.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2015 compared to $1.3 million during the same period in 2014. Most of the increase during the period was caused by higher incentive payments, higher contract labor, and higher commissions, as well as an increase in wages. Employee benefits were $136,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2015 compared to $263,000 during the same period in 2014. Lower Employee Stock Ownership Plan accruals, employee health insurance, and post-retirement benefit expenses contributed to most of the overall net decrease in employee benefits from 2014 to 2015. Other smaller increases and decreases in expense categories contributed to the remainder of the small net decrease in noninterest expense from 2014 to 2015.

The Company produced net interest income of $6.7 million during the first six months of 2015, which was slightly lower than the amount recorded for the same time period in 2014. The decrease was primarily caused by higher interest expense, which increased $122,000 or approximately 13.6% to $1.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015 as compared to the same time period of the prior year. Interest income increased $92,000 in the six months ended June 30, 2015 to $7.7 million, compared to the same period in 2014.

Noninterest income increased $427,000 or approximately 27.8% to $1.96 million during the six months ended June 30, 2015 as compared to the same time period of 2014. The majority of the net increase was associated with gains on sale of securities of $674.000 in the first six months of 2015 compared to $78,000 in the same time period in 2014. Offsetting this increase was a decrease in fee income from accounts receivable financing of $129,000 to $140,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2015. Smaller increases and decreases made up the remainder of the net increase in noninterest income in 2015 compared to 2014.

Noninterest expense was $6.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015 compared to $6.2 million for the same period in 2014. Increases in net cost of foreclosed assets and other expenses contributed to most of the net increase. Losses on disposals of other real estate owned caused the increase in net cost of foreclosed assets, and expenses associated with nonperforming assets contributed to the majority of the increase in other expenses.

Total assets as of June 30, 2015 were $359.8 million, up approximately 0.6% or $2.1 million from $357.7 million as of December 31, 2014. The principal components of the Company's assets as of the end of the time period were $272.1 million in net loans, $20.1 million in cash and cash equivalents and $49.2 million in available-for-sale and held-to-maturity securities. During the first six months of 2015, net loans were $272.1 million, up approximately 0.33% or $905,000 from $271.2 million as of December 31, 2014. Cash and cash equivalents increased approximately 39.1% or $5.6 million from $14.4 million as of December 31, 2014, and available-for-sale and held-to-maturity investment securities decreased approximately 7.5% or $3.7 million from $52.9 million as of December 31, 2014.

The allowance for loan losses was $3.8 million as of June 30, 2015, which represented 1.39% of total loans outstanding. The allowance for loan losses was $4.2 million, or 1.52% of total loans outstanding, as of December 31, 2014. Material improvements in asset quality over the last year lowered the Company's nonperforming assets to total assets to 1.14% as of June 30, 2015 compared to 1.60% as of June 30, 2014. Nonperforming assets decreased to $4.1 million as of June 30, 2015 from $5.7 million as of June 30, 2014. This 28.5% decrease has been driven by significant efforts by the Bank to dispose of nonperforming assets. Nonperforming assets to total assets decreased from 1.31% as of December 31, 2014 to 1.14% as of June 30, 2015.

Total liabilities as of June 30, 2015 were $332.3 million, up approximately 0.4% or $1.4 million from $330.9 million as of December 31, 2014. Higher levels of deposits drove the increase as noninterest-bearing deposits increased $2.5 million or 6.2%. The increase in noninterest-bearing deposits was offset by a $959,000 decrease in interest-bearing deposits from December 31, 2014 to June 30, 2015.

Total stockholders' equity as of June 30, 2015 was $27.5 million as compared to total stockholders' equity as of December 31, 2014 of $26.8 million. Increases from December 31, 2014 to June 30, 2015 in common stock of $379,000 and net income of $1.6 million, were offset by preferred dividends of $234,000 and a $1.0 million decrease in accumulated other comprehensive income.

About Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc.

Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. (OTCQB:BKOR) is the holding company for Bank of Oak Ridge. Bank of Oak Ridge (http://www.BankofOakRidge.com) is a community bank with locations in Greensboro, Summerfield and Oak Ridge, North Carolina. The bank was established in 2000 with the goal of delivering Banking As It Should Be®. With a focus on providing personal attention and convenience for every client, we offer a complete range of banking services for individuals and businesses including Saturday and extended weekday hours at all locations, ATM usage world-wide, mobile banking, remote deposits for consumers and businesses, and a full line of checking accounts; savings accounts; mortgage services; insurance services; lending options; and wealth management services. Bank of Oak Ridge is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. For more information, call 336-644-9944 or visit the office location closest to you.

Forward-looking Information

This form contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Company. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management of the Company and on the information available to management at the time that these disclosures were prepared. These statements can be identified by the use of words like "expect," "anticipate," "estimate" and "believe," variations of these words and other similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, (1) competition in the Company's markets, (2) changes in the interest rate environment, (3) general national, regional or local economic conditions may be less favorable than expected, resulting in, among other things, a deterioration in credit quality and the possible impairment of collectibility of loans, (4) legislative or regulatory changes, including changes in accounting standards, (5) significant changes in the federal and state legal and regulatory environment and tax laws, (6) the impact of changes in monetary and fiscal policies, laws, rules and regulations and (7) other risks and factors identified in the Company's other filings with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

June 30, 2015 (unaudited) and December 31, 2014 (audited)

(Dollars in thousands)

2015

2014

Assets

Cash and due from banks

$ 5,812

$ 7,279

Interest-bearing deposits with banks

14,238

7,132

Total cash and cash equivalents

20,050

14,411

Securities available-for-sale

47,047

50,389

Securities held-to-maturity (fair values of $2,337 in 2015 and $2,683 in 2014)

2,123

2,472

Federal Home Loan Bank Stock, at cost

432

426

Loans held for sale

--

864

Loans, net of allowance for loan losses of $3,842 in 2015 and $4,191 in 2014